Lisle, Illinois ~ Benedictine University is ranked among the top 20 percent of colleges and universities in the United States in the third annual ranking of "America's Best College's" by Forbes magazine.

Forbes reviews just 9 percent of the 6,600 accredited postsecondary institutions in the United States, so appearing on the list is an indication that a school meets a high standard.

"Forbes magazine ranks colleges and universities based on criteria that are important to students and their parents," said William J. Carroll, Ph.D., president of Benedictine University. "One of the most important areas to us is student satisfaction, because we want our students to feel like they have received the best education possible by providing them with the best education possible."

The rankings are compiled in conjunction with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, an independent, not-for-profit research center based in Washington, D.C., and are based on five general categories: student satisfaction, postgraduate success, student debt, four-year graduation rate and competitive awards.

U.S. News & World Report® ranked Benedictine University among the national universities that offer the best undergraduate education based on a poll it conducted of guidance counselors from the top high schools in America.

Guidance counselors rated Benedictine equally with schools like Texas Tech University, Colorado State University, Florida State University, the University of Arkansas and Louisville University and ahead of many state schools such as Southern Illinois University, Illinois State University and Northern Illinois University.

Among other reports and rankings released this fall, the Chronicle of Higher Education listed Benedictine University as the seventh-fastest growing college campus in the United States among private, nonprofit master's universities based on total head count (full- and part-time students, undergraduate and graduate students). Benedictine grew by 81 percent during the period that the study was conducted (2004-2009).

Also, Crain's Chicago Business listed Benedictine's Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program as the fourth-largest in the Chicago area with 1,019 students. The M.B.A. program at Benedictine University provides a collaborative educational experience that imparts superior, practical management skills, orients learners to best business practices, and instills a sense of personal and lifelong commitment to improving the leadership within organizations.

Benedictine was also ranked by www.TheBestColleges.org among the top 10 Online Catholic Colleges and Universities of 2011, and is listed by G.I. Magazine among the top Military Friendly Schools in the United States.

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Benedictine University is located in Lisle, Illinois, just 25 miles west of Chicago, and has branch campuses in Springfield, Illinois, and Mesa, Arizona. Founded as a Catholic university in 1887, Benedictine enrolls nearly 10,000 students in 56 undergraduate and 19 graduate programs. Forbes magazine named Benedictine among "America's Top Colleges" for the sixth consecutive year in 2016. Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org). For more information, contact (630) 829-6300, admissions@ben.edu or visit ben.edu.